


Scouting for Love

by QueenHopeTheirin



Category: Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Bathing, Kissing, No Sex, No really no sex, Other, Sweet, fireside chat
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-20
Updated: 2015-07-20
Packaged: 2018-04-10 06:46:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,645
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4381448
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/QueenHopeTheirin/pseuds/QueenHopeTheirin
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Krem and Lace are out on a mission together.  When Krem needs a friend to keep an eye out for him they find they feel more than friendship for each other.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Scouting for Love

**Author's Note:**

> I almost did not post this but with encouragement decided to.

           “Scout Harding?” A deep voice startled Lace as she contemplated the day.

 

           “Krem, how can I help you?” The red headed dwarf was along on the Chargers’ latest mission. They were a good group but a small group of mages joined them, not that it bothered Lace, but Krem was quieter than normal.

 

           “I am sorry to bother you, I know you are busy, but…” Krem shifted, “I got dirtier than I expected climbing through rubble earlier, and I need to bathe.”

 

           “I don’t fetch bathwater Krem.” Lace smiled, he looked miserable and his clothing looked wet.

 

           “Oh I understand, I am a man, but… I want to wash off in the lake, I should ask someone else. Yes, Dalish. Never mind I shouldn’t have bothered you.”  Krem turned frustrated.

                                                                                           

           “Did you want me to stand guard?” Lace said understanding what he wanted.

 

           “I trust the other Chargers to stay away, but I do not know the mages yet.” Krem toed the ground with his boots. “I have to wash my bindings even,” he said with a blush.

 

           “Wait here, I have something you can use while your bindings wash.  I keep linen wraps in case someone gets injured that should work right?” Lace stood and did not wait for an answer.  She ran to her tent and grabbed the tidy length of linen she kept in her pack and brought it out.

 

           Returning to Krem she handed him the wraps. “How can I help?”

 

           “I need to bathe and wash my clothes and dry them. I didn’t realize the time I was asking you to commit to this until I said it out loud.  It is too much.” Krem backed away again.

 

          “Krem, I had no plans tonight.   I was going to find you, it never hurts traveling with people that you like.”  Lace smiled and chuckled as Krem blushed. “There’s a nice pool in a pond close by, it’s quiet. While you bathe I’ll wash your things.”

 

          “But then you will be wet,” Krem started.

 

          “Oh, would that be distracting for you?” Lace had a hard time not teasing the Tevinter warrior, she had known that Kreme liked women based on conversations he had with the men.  She once overheard him mention he found her attractive, she wanted tease the man more, but he was shy.

 

“I will wear my small clothes. I should dry fast.” Lace said answering his concerns. She had traveled alone often and did not mind being naked in nature.

 

           “Scout Harding…” Krem’s voice shook.

 

           “Call me Lace, Krem, I am teasing. Go take your bath you look miserable. I won’t be able to see you once you round that tree right there. If you strip and drop your clothes I will wash them for you.”

 

           “Lace, thank you.” Krem walked toward the tree she had pointed out and a small pile of clothing appeared on the other side.

 

Lace stripped to her smallclothes, she wished she could just go in nude but Krem wasn’t comfortable with her being in the same water with her in her smalls. Krem was a handsome man, sometimes she tried to imagine how he looked as a woman, but it did not fit him in her mind.

 

Lace picked up the pile of clothing it was still wet and sticky the color was hard to define, “What color was this shirt? Maker how long ago did you fall?”

 

“Just before we quit, an hour ago. Blue, I’m sure it was blue.” Krem called back.

 

While the pool he was private, they weren’t that far apart.  Lace liked to imagine lover’s met there to find time alone, another fact she did not bother to tell Krem.  She imagined him finding out and running out of the water. Lace enjoyed making him blush.

 

           “What is this? I hope it’s safe for the lake.” Lace cringed as she applied the soap and worked at making the clothing clean. “We might need blood magic remove the stains.”

 

           “Excuse me?” Krem croaked out.

 

           “Oh I am sorry, it was a joke I forgot your history.” Lace groaned, she continued to work on the clothing.  Krem stopped talking the splashing of water and low moans accented the night air.

           

            “This water is perfect,” Krem called over after a few minutes.  “I think I am clean again.”

 

           Lace felt accomplished when she got Krem’s shirt clean, or what she hoped was clean, the waning sunlight hid blocked behind cloud cover.  “I am getting out Krem we should have brought a tent.  Do you mind if I start a fire? There is a chill in the air and your clothes may dry faster if we do.”

 

           “If you want to Scout... I mean Lace. The tent would just make the men talk, me alone in a tent with a girl, needing privacy. Not that they won’t talk anyway.”

 

           “Let me put my clothes on, I can take my smalls off and put the rest back on then I will start a fire.”  Lace said not paying attention to what she said or how loud.

 

           “Maker’s breath, did you just say that?” Krem choked out.

 

           “I am sorry I am used to traveling alone, I talk to myself.” Lace smiled but did not laugh, poor Krem. She liked to poke at him. She took off her wet underthings and put on the light clothing she had been wearing.

 

Still smiling she started the fire. “Is everything ok?” Lace called out.

 

“Maker no, the wrap you gave me isn’t working, let me try again.” Krem’s voice had a note of frustration in it.

 

“I could help…” Lace offered.

 

“Not yet, let me try again.” Krem’s deep voice slipped as he struggled to fix the bindings.

 

“Why isn’t it working?” Lace asked, Krem was close, but out of sight.

 

“The last bit does not reach where it needs to and it I can’t reach it to tie it.” Krem growled.

 

“If you could get it to where it covers well enough I can help.  I have not stretched them linen out enough I guess.” Lace offered.  “I can close my eyes Krem please I want to help.”

 

“Ok, one moment, if you come now I am good, don’t cover your eyes. There is a root and it would be ironic if you got hurt with your bandage holding up my bosoms.”

 

            “I carry a couple. You could carry me back to camp if I got hurt right?” Lace chuckled.

 

Krem was facing away, a short length of linen dangled under his armpit. Krem while human was not that tall. He still was at least a foot taller than Lace, but she was glad she did not need him to kneel on the ground to reach the end.  Lace grabbed the end and tugged to see how much play she had.

 

“Is it too short if you unwound it once?” Lace bit her lip and contemplated the curve to Krem’s neck.  Humans had the best necks.

 

“Yes, this was close to perfect.”  Krem sighed defeated.

 

Lace resisted the urge to pinch Krem into smiling, instead she took the end and found a place to loop it through one of the previous passes.  She blushed as she noted how smooth his skin was as her fingers went between him and the simple linen wrap.

 

Lace bit her lip and scolded herself as she tied a knot that would hold.  Making the knot required more touching than she had expected. Her hands wanted to touch more than she had expected.   It was a simple enough knot but each time her fingers brushed Krem’s smooth back a patch of goosebumps appeared.  Both their breathing became shallow as she tested the knot a final time.

 

Maker help her, she was an adult not a lunatic that could not control herself. “The binding should hold, is it tight enough?”

 

“Yes thank you,” Krem said, Lace tried to decide if his voice was heavier than normal.  Did Krem find this intimate also? Her fingers lingered over his shoulder, her eyes grew heavy and she fought the urge to kiss between his should blades.

 

Lace snapped herself out of the trance and turned. “Come by the fire Krem, it’s cold.”

 

“I don’t let people help me with my bindings. That was interesting, I am sorry if I over reacted.” Krem said, he took hold of her arm and escorted her to the fire.

 

“You have nothing to be ashamed of Krem. I have things I don’t like sharing with others.” Lace wanted to comfort him, but was unsure how to do that.  

 

 Krem had pulled the sheet up, so it was covering him how a woman would wear it.  Her past lovers knotted their sheet at their waist.  Lace also noticed as Krem sat that he had curves hidden by his armor, the sheet clung a little and outlined them.

 

“I can just hear the banter at camp when the guys hear about this, or Bull, Maker.” Krem moaned.

 

“Krem it isn’t anyone’s business what happens when we are alone.” Lace smiled up at him hoping to remind him she was with someone he trusted.

 

Krem’s hand was still on her arm, part of her wanted to find out if he would be open to a hug, or… her eyes landed on his lips. Blast it she wanted Krem to kiss her.

 

“Thank you let’s go by the fire you are shivering.” Krem’s hand moved from her arm to her back.  

 

Lace walked trying not to focus on the pressure from his hand between her shoulder blades.  The tremble he felt wasn’t because of the cold, but everything because her failing control.

 

They sat down against a log, Lace had planned the fire so they could sit in that spot.  She hadn’t considered how intimate things could get.  Krem looked uncomfortable trying to figure out how to sit on the ground in the wrap. “Krem are you ok?”

 

“I feel like I am wearing a dress.” Krem frowned as he tugged at the wrap covering his bindings again.

 

“How do you dry off after you bathe before you dress?” Lace asked if she could make him relax maybe the tension in the air would dissipate.

 

“I dry off enough to rebind, and then put on small clothes I do not linger in a wrap often,” Krem started. “Sometimes I walk around naked.” He blushed and Lace knew enough not to push.

 

“It would not bother me if you lowered the sheet to a more natural position.  The men at camp seem to settle down and I would hear anyone approach way before they got here.” Lace suggested.

 

“You’re comfortable with a man sitting next to you without a shirt?” Krem asked, he sounded as if he did not believe her.

 

“I’m comfortable with you sitting here without a shirt. Besides with your bindings you are plenty covered.” Lace winced, her voice betrayed her attraction.

 

“It isn’t because I wasn’t born a man?” Krem’s voice cracked.

 

“No, because I trust you, and respect you,” Lace tried to hide the hurt she felt knowing that Krem thought that of her.

 

Sure he didn’t fit the normal definition of male, but her eyes, and body saw a man sitting next to her. “I know you are a man, maybe your parts don’t match but have I ever treated you in a way that made you not trust me?”

 

“No, that was unfair.” Krem stood and walked to the edge of the camp, he faced away from Lace and rolled the sheet.  He wrapped it how she had seen men wrap themselves.  The thicker section of sheet at his waist filled in the curve at his hips. When he finished Lace couldn’t tell that he ever had a feminine figure.

 

“Would sitting on the log rather against it work better for you?”  Lace asked, “I figured we could rest here if we got tired waiting for your things to dry.”

 

“How long did you plan to stay with me?” Krem asked, he had a confused look on his face as he took a seat next to her on the ground.

 

“Until you don’t need me,” Was her only answer.  Lace went to speak, remained silent.

 

“What is it?” Krem asked he was sitting so close, but neither had moved.

 

“I am attracted to you,” Lace blushed and so did Krem.

 

“You are?” Krem asked.

 

“Why wouldn’t I be? You are smart, funny and handsome.” Lace stumbled as she tried to figure out how to fix the whole conversation.

 

“You’re beautiful you know.” Krem admitted standing much too close.

 

Lace licked her lip as Krem leaned in to kiss her.  She smiled as his lips touched hers gentle at first, then Lace moaned.  Krem pulled her close as Lace wrapped her arms around his neck.  The heat of the fire could not compete with the sparks between them.

 

Lace pulled away and ran her hand over Krem’s face. “I liked that.”

 

“Me too, I don’t want you to take this the wrong way but we cannot have sex tonight,” Krem blurted out, “not here.”

 

Lace giggled, “Good to know.”

 

Krem blushed, and he tried to pull away, “Forgive me, I’ll check my clothes now.”

 

“Please don’t go,” Lace asked. “I am ok with taking this slow. I enjoy your company. The next time we are in Skyhold we can meet at the Tavern. I would like that anyway.”

 

Krem bent back down and gave Lace another kiss. “Thank you, I would have fallen in that muck on purpose if I had known this would happen.  It’s a date, the first night we are both in Skyhold, or the second night, I like to bathe when I return home.”

 

“Deal, and for now?” Lace questioned.

 

“I don’t think my clothes are dry yet do you?” Krem laughed until his lips found Lace’s again.

 

Lace giggled as they found themselves on the ground.  Krem checked the wrap to make sure it did not slip, his hands finding her sensitive spots through her clothing.  Lace moaned as he rolled her nipples under his hands, through her shirt.

 

“I thought you said no sex.” Lace moaned as his hands explored, their necking gaining momentum.

 

Krem sat up and wrapped an arm around his knees. “Bull says this is the easy part, that I needed to relax, and I am. I bet you would look beautiful with your legs around my waist.”

 

“You are not ready?” Lace smiled as she leaned against Krem.

 

“No.” Krem admitted as he stood.

 

 He crossed to where is clothing dried and tugged them off the makeshift line.   Lace watched as he pulled up the pants under the sheet.  The linen fell to the ground as he fastened the laces.  He walked back carrying his shirt, he put it on before he sat down next to her.

 

“We can go back to camp.”  Krem said as he leaned against the log.  The fire could use a fresh log if they planned on staying.

 

“No, I thought I would sleep here while setting up the spot, but you do not have to stay.” Lace offered as an out as Krem pulled her against him, her head fell to the top of his shoulder.

 

“I don’t want to either.”  Krem sighed as Lace nuzzled his neck with her nose.

 

“What’ll we tell everyone in the morning?”  Lace mumbled teasing.  She couldn’t give a fig what anyone thought.

 

“That you pinned me down and overpowered me.” Krem’s laugh was sleepy and wonderful.

 

“They will believe that,” Lace nodded and threw her leg over Krem. 

 

Lace listened to the beat of Krem’s heart and the crackle of the fire.  In the morning things may be different, but tonight he was hers.  Her eyes fluttered, and she fell into a dreamless sleep.

 


End file.
